1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a linear guideway lubricating equipment, and more particularly to an adjusting structure for adjusting amount of lubricant applied to a linear guideway, wherein a positioning board and an adjusting board are disposed in the oil tank for adjusting the lubricating oil transmitted from the oil-storage space to the lubricating unit, it not only can save lubricating oil but also can improve the lubricating effect.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Since linear transmission products are being applied more and more widely in the modern industry, various linear transmission mechanisms have widely come into human life, manufacturing factory and high science and technology instruments, such as linear guideway, ball screw, and the like. Particularly in a large-scale precision mechanism are usually installed various large and small ball screws or linear guideway systems. Although the technology for linear transmission element is developing fast, consumers still need the technology to be improved uninterruptedly. Therefore, there are still some problems to be solved. And this desire for constant improvement of technology is particular strong in many high precision mechanism-manufacturing fields that require comparative stability and quiet. Hence, the existing linear mechanism still has some technological blind spots to be improved.
The existing linear guideway lubricating systems are generally divided into the following types:
A first type conventional linear guideway lubricating system disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,513 is shown in FIG. 1, the cap 11 of the slide block 10 contains a lubricant-containing porous member 12 that directly contacts the linear guideway for applying lubricant to the ball groove thereof. However, this type lubricating system is impractical because of the following reasons:
First, the lubricating operation is becoming more and more precise, it requires the lubricating effect to be improved and the amount of applied lubricant to be adjustable. However, this lubricant-containing porous member 12 is able to adjust the amount of applied lubricant.
Second, in real use, it is impossible to calculate the quantity of the lubricant consumed by the lubricant-containing porous member 12. When the lubricant is used up, the user must check the lubricating effect at all times, therefore, it is not only time-consuming and laborsome, but also the lubricating efficiency is low.
A second type conventional linear guideway lubricating system disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,867 B1 is shown in FIG. 2, wherein a self-lubricating unit 14 is disposed at an end of the slide block, and a lubricant-storage groove 141 is formed in the self-lubricating unit 14 for accommodation of a lubricant-containing material 142. The lubricant-containing material 142 serves to supply lubricant to the lubricating member 143, and then the lubricating member 143 contacts the rail 13 for carrying out lubricating operation. However, this lubricating system is also impractical due to the following reasons:
First, similarly, the lubricating operation is becoming more and more precise, it requires the lubricating effect to be improved and the amount of applied lubricant to be adjustable. However, the lubricating member 143 is able to adjust the amount of applied lubricant.
Second, in real use, it is impossible to calculate the quantity of the lubricant consumed by the lubricating member 143. When the lubricant is used up, the user must check the lubricating effect at all times, therefore, it is time-consuming and laborsome, and as a result, the lubricating efficiency is low.
Hence, with the popularization of the linear transmission application, the demand of solving the aforementioned problems is becoming more and more urgent, and manufacturing an easily maintained ball screw less with a good lubricating effect has become the most important selling point that the manufactures are striving for. Therefore, another two linear guideway lubricating systems were developed, which are explained below:
FIG. 3 shows a lubricating system disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,457, wherein an oil tank 15 is installed at the end of the slide block for storage of lubricating oil 151, the lubricant 151 is transmitted to the ball groove of the rail 154 via a lubricating member 153 that is inserted in the discharging hole 152 of the oil tank 15. This lubricating system can effectively reduce the maintenance and checking time, however, the lubricating member 153 is also unable to adjust and control the quantity of lubricant 151 transmitted to the rail 154.
FIG. 4 shows a fourth conventional product disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,804 B1, wherein a lubricant-storage hole 161 is formed on the slide block 16 and then a predetermined amount of lubricant is injected into the lubricant-storage hole 161 by an injection needle 17. And a wool felt 18 is received in the lubricant-storage hole 161 in such a manner that the wool felt 18 protrudes out the lubricant-storage hole 161 and contacts the rail 19. The wool felt 18 can absorb the lubricant to its protrusion based on the capillary theory, so that the lubricant will be transmitted to the balls, and then will be transmitted to the rail 19 by the balls. This lubricating system can effectively reduce the maintenance and checking time since the lubricant storage in the lubricant-storage hole 161 is observable. However, the formation of the lubricant-storage hole 161 must require a lot of times of drilling operation in the slide block 16, and it is also unable to adjust and control the quantity of lubricant 151 transmitted to the rail 19.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.